Immediately, I think of Volti Audio speakers—high sensitivity and capable of reaching down into the mid-30 Hz range. However, to me, they’re not that pretty. The next recommendation that comes to mind is the Buchardt E50 or the S400 II, which I own. The downside is that their sensitivity (85-87dBA) is low by your standards. But their bass remains articulate even at low listening levels (around 50–55 dBA), and they’ve served me well over the past 1.5 years. You won’t need a subwoofer—the bass has both weight and quality.
Speakers for 2nd System!
Folks, I’m putting together 2nd system in a small room. This room doubles up as home office space. The dimensions are 12’ D x 11’ W x 8’ H.
I am open to recommendations for bookshelves or floor standers with a small footprint. I won’t be adding subs due to limited space. High efficiency 96db and above speakers are preferred.
The system components so far,
Leben CS600X - 28-32W
Technics SL - 1200M7B with Hana ML
Softone Model 4 Phono
Raysonic CD128
Cables - Sternklang (ribbon) IC and Speaker with HIJIRI “Nagomi” Power Cords.
Budget, I would like to stay under $5k but wouldn’t mind going over for something exemplary. Not interested in DIY projects or ugly stuff - aesthetics and high performance are equally important..lol!
Thank you!
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I would use the search tools here https://speakerchoices.com/ Revel, Dynaudio or SF |
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I really appreciate the link, very helpful! In a small room, sensitive (high-efficiency) speakers aren’t about loudness—they’re about responsiveness and expressiveness at low volumes. Many high-efficiency speakers pair beautifully with low-wattage amps revealing subtle shifts in texture, tone and emotions even when played quietly, which is perfect for near field listening in a small room. |
@lalitk your going to have a VERY hard time finding everything on your want list.. |
If you plan to listen at low volume levels, high sensitivity speakers make sense but the trade-off is that it's very difficult to get low bass out of a high sensitivity speaker. Not impossible, but a real challenge to the designer. This is one reason why people with these types of speakers utilize subwoofers. Finding a speaker that is aesthetically pleasing, sensitive, has a small footprint and decent bass could be a problem. Good luck! |
@lalitk -- I know the Leben quite well (also the smaller sibling, the CS300), and it’s a fine amp. I might try and look for a used pair of WLM Diva’s (the floor standing model as an outset), which are very good speakers built around a 10" coaxial driver with a stated 97dB sensitivity. At the time I heard them over the Almarro 318B amp, a lovely pairing, and my guess is the Diva’s will mate well the CS600X. Being a single point source per channel you’ll also be able to sit fairly close to the speakers and still have excellent summation. To boot: with their slender and finely veneered shape they're nice on the eyes, I find. |
Compact and efficient are pretty much mutually exclusive. The closest thing that comes to mind would be an offering from Omega: https://omegaloudspeakers.com/collections Your amp has more than enough power for a more typical 90-91dB speaker in that size space which would open up your options considerably. Unless, you need to listen at 95+dB levels, you should be fine with a more realistically spec'd speaker. |
I will speak to brands I know, but not knowing your music preferences, understand that my listening is jazz and classical and I value clarity, accurate instrument timbres and tight bass. +1 for Totem - I own a pair of 8 yr. old Sky Towers, smallish, but with surprisingly deep bass. Totem makes several bookshelf models, all in the 87 dB efficiency range, a couple that will not require more than 20-25 watts per ch in a small room. Bass down to about 50 Hz on several, and lower for models with larger woofers. One advantage is the ability to place these speakers within 6" of a rear wall. They mate well with tube amps. + for ATC - The SCM 7 is remarkably clear and coherent, but needs a sub given the small size of its bass driver. Skip the SCM 11 and try listening to the SCM 19, but your amp will probably not have the power to make it sing. Aerial Acoustics 5T - about the size of the ATC SCM 19, but a bit more efficient at 87 dB. Will sound great with your amp if you’re not requiring very high volumes. It’s a 4 ohm speaker. Again, lots of detail and coherence with bass down to 50 Hz. Also can be placed close to a rear wall on shelves, in bookcase or on stands. I prefer all of these to the Harbeths, Spendors and similar BBC monitors, especially with a tube amp like yours, which will provide a rounder, fuller sound. All of these speakers excel at detail without being tiring. But it’s all a matter of taste. Good luck in your search. |
@sameyers1 I see your fairly new here so I'll simply tell you that you really should read the OP's thread starter before commenting..You would have noticed OP is looking for HIGH EFFICIENCY speakers(96db.+)..In a latter reply he added that he would be swapping in & out 2-8 wpc.300B SET amps(should have been mentioned in the original post),eliminating everything pretty much all us repliers recommended.. |
That’s a fair callout but I already mentioned my preference for speakers in 96dB or higher efficiency. But that did not prevent you for recommending speakers with 90/91dB efficiency…lol! I am building something intentional and that deserves the right speaker match, not a “yeah but maybe” compromise. Hope this makes sense! |
I haven't heard these creations and while the manufacturer is obscure they often receive resounding accolades ... would pair well with Leben I believe: https://www.studio-electric.com/ I went with Revel and love them ... so many quality choices nowadays! |
My office on the second floor has one side facing the first floor Livingroom. It is a small space. In my 12 x 11 x 9 previous room I used Magnepan LRS+. I liked the wall of sound effect of the Maggies, but the clarity of the sound was a bit below the previous KEF LS50 Meta speaker. In my new smaller space, I decided to get a used Magnepan Mini speaker for $1000. This thing needs power, and my Sanders Magtech amp did not have a Standby switch, The Sanders is great on Maggies. The Schitt Wotan amp at $2k had the Standby switch and it sounded as good with more bass than the Magtech ($4k - $7k). The great thing about my current setup is that in my near-field setup (3 feet away) I am getting the wall of sound effect and somewhat of a headphone effect. The Maggies do not suffer too much from side wall reflections; main reason I went with them in a small space. The LS50 Meta is not as easy to setup as the Maggies. The Mini is more detailed and cleaner than the LRS+. I also own the RAAL SR1a earphone and use it in the office (reason for the need for Standby on the Mini amp), That phone is incredible and I use a used $400 Schitt Aegir V1 amp to drive them. My preamp for both the Mini and the SR1a is the $700 Schitt Kara F preamp. The secret sauce is the reference level Schitt Yggi+ OG DAC used for both systems. I also have a few tuners in the mix, including the Magenum Dynalab MD108T tuner ($8k). Do not let the low prices fool you, I sold a $7k preamp, a $15k DAC, a $7k amp to get to this office system. I think the Wotan amp may need to use XLR for best sound. I tried the Benchmark HPA4 preamp with RCA into the Wotan and it was not as good as the Kara F via XLR. The HPA4 via XLR was the best on the Mini and Wotan but is terrible with the RAAL SR1a. So, a bit of compromise. I have a photo of this setup in my A'gon virtual systems page. |
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Right now Michael Kelly has a sale price on his website for Aerial Acoustic Model 5T, stands are available as well. These speakers are fantastic I have several pairs of various models and will no longer look for other manufacturers. https://aerialacoustics.com |
Tough ask. Rethm Aarkas are 94db, and I think they’re at least $6k. Devore Micr/os are $4k but only 89db. Audio Notes are not 96db. Here’s a wild one: I love the Audience 1+1s. They meet the budget at $4.5k. sensitivity is only 87db, however they are truly an 8 ohm load (lowest is 7.5 @77hz). Amazing sounding little speaker. |
“Pure Audio Project Duet 15, with Duet15 Horn1 Bingo! I always wanted to hear a PAP offering in my 🏠 |
One of my favorite albums on Avant-garde Colibri C2. Don’t forget to put your headset to fully enjoy these beautiful recording’s. https://youtu.be/39SpUW8QNxo?si=R76uNMIonJtpJwKZ Who knew ARC components can sound this good! |
If you start looking small bookshelf, the Proac Tablette 10 Signatures are stellar. While not ostensibly high-eff, they are incredibly easy to drive with tubes, given their 10 ohm nominal impedance. I put a pair in my 300 sq/ft shop/gym, powered with a 10w EL84 push-pull integrated, and they easily fill the room while sounding remarkably good even on a shelf filled with tools and jars of screws. Now that's a feat! Bass is decent but obviously doesn't go very low. Sealed cab, so they can go near the front wall. I had a pair of Harbeth P3ESR and the Proacs are much better, IMO, and far easier to drive. |
@lalitk I was going to say ATC SCM40. But I am not sure your amplifier has the needed juice. |
Thanks, Omega is already on my list. Pearl Audio Sibelius And ATC SCM40, while they offer solid engineering and performance, their respective 87dB and 85dB efficiency would make it difficult for my intended purpose. My 2nd system is going to be the ‘test’ system for trying out different tube amps powered by 300B, 2A3 and 211. There are some legendary low-watt amps that I wanted to try for a very long time. |
@lalitk I heard Feetwood Deville with a flee watt amp (8w) in a large room. While I think they’re ugly as sin, they do sound very good and throw a gigantic soundstage. They pooped while playing Metallica with that amp but did well with acoustic music and jazz. If they’re not too ugly for you, definitely add them to your list. |
I faced a similar situation looking for speakers to pair with a decware tube amp for a home office somewhat bigger than your room but still not huge. I settled on Omega Super Alnicos and honestly remain stunned at how good they are for the price (sub 3k). They are at 96db or a little higher sensitivity I believe. Very musical, wonderful midrange and have nice characteristics of a single driver speaker. Also, more than enough base for my space. I wasn’t sure at first whether I’d need a sub. I was also really happy with the cabinetry. The veneers are beautifully done. |
@glenmschneider. I really need to audition the Sibelius some more. You are not the only one to describe them as beautiful sounding. |